Chapter 270: The Prefecture Capital
Chapter 270: The Prefecture Capital
The grand prefecture capital of Yu Prefecture was far more spectacular than the county town of Yu Prefecture. Within the city walls, there were millions of commoners, and the entire city was not as simple as the county town. As the capital of the prefecture, the entire city, like the Seven Mysteries Sect, was built upon a vast earth vein. Utilizing the power of the city array formation, they harnessed the energy of the earth vein.
The disasters common in Yu Prefecture, such as droughts and frost disasters, were non-existent in the prefecture capital. The entire region was controlled by a unique earth vein array, and a large area enjoyed bountiful weather all year round.
However, even so, the prefecture capital still presented a clear divide. The closer one got to the inner city, the more lavishly dressed the people were, and they were always accompanied by a crowd of followers.
As one approached the outer city, the number of people wearing long robes decreased, and eventually, even those wearing neat clothing disappeared. Their clothes were patched and mended, and in the more remote areas, the clothing was tattered and filthy, showing no signs of being washed for who knows how long.
Whether they were children or the elderly, most of them had dull expressions, their eyes vacant, with little vitality.
The laughter and joy from the distant inner city seemed to never reach this place.
On the relatively spacious streets, a group of people walked with Chen Mu at the forefront. He wore a simple dark blue long robe, and the many figures behind him were also dressed plainly. Even so, walking in this part of the outer city was still a rare sight. The numerous women and children wearing tattered clothing watched from afar as Chen Mu and his group passed by, quickly making way for them and even daring not to look up, keeping their heads low on either side, fearing they might offend this group of 'masters'.
"I didn't expect the prefecture capital to be like this too."
Chen Yue, walking beside Chen Mu, spoke with a slightly complicated expression after her gaze swept across the street.
Xu Hongyu, Xiao He, and Yu Ru didn't feel much about this, but she had experienced the most difficult times with Chen Mu. On the way, Chen Mu had explained that the prefecture capital had a unique earth vein array, enjoying bountiful weather all year round, and even demons dared not invade. The fields outside were fertile, and she had thought it would be a different world compared to Yu Prefecture, but it turned out to be the same.
"The prefecture capital is just a larger version of Yu City, and there's essentially no difference."
Chen Mu spoke calmly, "The six major families in the inner city of Yu Prefecture all have intricate connections with the elders and peak masters of the Seven Mysteries Sect, just like the Xue, Xie, He, and Yu families in Yu City."
The Seven Mysteries Sect governed Yu Prefecture, but internally, they had their own conflicts and disagreements. Naturally, the prefecture capital of Yu Prefecture was an extension of this, including the early days of Yu Prefecture, which was essentially a microcosm of the Seven Mysteries Sect.
Yan Jingqing, when he served as the inspector general in the prefecture capital, had once tried to change this situation, but in the end, nothing changed.
With his own power, he couldn't alter this state of affairs.
The only difference between the prefecture capital and the early days of Yu Prefecture was that the order was slightly better, and it wasn't as chaotic. There wouldn't be random murders left unattended, but due to the major families vying for the prefecture's resources, the governance naturally deteriorated. As the exploitation continued, even though the prefecture enjoyed consecutive years of abundance, the commoners at the bottom were no different from those in Yu Prefecture.
"Hmm."
Chen Yue listened to Chen Mu's words and nodded slightly.
If one were to compare the six major families in the prefecture capital to the Sky Sword Sect and Mystic Mechanism Pavilion in Yu Prefecture, then living here wouldn't be much different from the past.
Chen Mu's gaze swept across the street, observing the poor residents in their tattered clothing hastily making way for them on both sides of the road, all of them being extremely cautious and keeping their heads low. For a moment, he felt a sense of emotion welling up inside. Despite the numerous impoverished residents in this outer city area, bearing the marks of hard labor over the years, in reality, many were willing to fight tooth and nail to come to the prefecture capital to survive.
After all, no matter how exploited the prefecture capital was, it was still more peaceful than the outside world.
Chen Mu, leading Xu Hongyu, Chen Yue, and others from Yu Prefecture, had traveled along the imperial highway for nearly a month and a half and encountered a total of four groups of bandits who actively blocked the road to rob them.
There were also others who secretly followed them, but upon realizing they were not easy targets, they gave up. The number of such bandits was countless, and they were a common occurrence in the prefecture capital of Yu Prefecture and other counties. The authorities would actively eliminate them from time to time, but due to the chaotic times, they couldn't be completely eradicated. Burn one group, and another would rise.
Regarding the Seven Mysteries Sect, they hold themselves in high regard, and such common banditry rarely piques their interest. Only when a grand thief of the Organ Realms enters the scene might the Seven Mysteries Sect take notice, sending out their True Disciples or Guardians to capture the culprit.
The group continued along the main road.
Soon, they passed through the outermost city district and entered a more inner area. The surroundings began to change; the number of people in tattered clothing decreased, while those in long robes increased. The streets and alleys visibly became cleaner and more orderly, and even the buildings gradually took on a more impressive appearance.
As they approached the inner city of the prefecture capital, the streets became livelier. On the road, they could see local gentry being escorted with much fanfare. Upon seeing Chen Mu's group, although they didn't recognize them, they could tell from their attire that Chen Mu's group was no ordinary bunch. Naturally, no conflict arose, and everyone politely nodded as they passed by.
"Speaking of the Grand Protector of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion, Situ Shu, he brandished his Frost Soul Spirit Blade, which was as tall as a man. With a roar, he unleashed countless sword auras, crisscrossing and slashing towards Chen Hu, intending to kill him with his blade."
In a bustling teahouse along the street, a middle-aged man with a folding fan spoke with great enthusiasm, his voice drowning out the nearby bustling street and attracting a large crowd of listeners.
"But little did he know that Chen Hu had already mastered the Divine Technique Bodyguard. Facing the onslaught of countless sword auras, he remained calm and didn't even draw his sword. He took a step forward, and in an instant, the wind and clouds changed. All the Frost Soul Spirit Blade auras shattered before Chen Hu. Before anyone could react, Chen Hu, with his bare hands, blocked Situ Shu's Frost Soul Spirit Blade. With a punch, he sent Situ Shu flying dozens of zhang away!"
The storyteller's narration was vivid, each sentence filled with detail, as if he had been present during the actual event.
As they passed by the teahouse, Chen Yue, who was walking beside Chen Mu, overheard the middle-aged man saying, "Chen Mu struck nine punches in a row, killing Situ Shu on the spot. It's said that he killed without a sword, nine punches to end Situ Shu..." She couldn't help but turn to Chen Mu and ask, "Was it really like that, brother?"
Chen Mu shook his head and smiled.
He didn't know how much the storyteller knew about the actual fight, but the story he had woven was quite impressive. In reality, Chen Mu's Flame Stream Blade had broken during the clash with the Frost Soul Spirit Blade, but here, the storyteller portrayed it as Chen Mu not deigning to draw his sword.
As the storyteller concluded his tale, he struck the table with his fan, bowed to the teahouse, and the entire place burst into lively discussion.
"Chen Hu slaying Situ Shu, I've heard this story three times now, and each time, my heart races. The Mystic Mechanism Pavilion's actions are despicable and cunning. Chen Hu truly delivered justice. If I weren't away from Yu Prefecture, I'd love to teach those Mystic Mechanism Pavilion disciples a lesson myself."
"Tsk, you think you could teach them a lesson? Your three-legged cat skills wouldn't even get past my punches and kicks. You'd be lucky if they didn't swat you away like a fly."
A few people near the window laughed and joked.
"Speaking of Chen Hu slaying Situ Shu, his ranking on the Gale Wind Rankings must have soared, right?"
Someone took a sip of tea and asked.
"Most definitely. He'd be in the top ten at least."
"It's hard to say with the Gale Wind Rankings. They are different from the New Talent Register, as they are only updated once every three years. It'll be another two and a half years before the rankings are reset. Who knows, by then, Chen Hu's strength might have improved even further, and he could directly enter the top ten."
A man with a cheerful smile spoke.
Since the creation of the Gale Wind Rankings, the only time they were updated ahead of schedule was many years ago, after a major battle that claimed the lives of seven or eight top-ranked individuals. In the following months, several more top-ranked experts fell, and various factors led to the Horizon Sea Pavilion resetting the rankings after a short period.
Compared to Chen Mu slaying the 23rd-ranked Situ Shu, although it was a remarkable event, it wasn't enough to prompt an early reset of the Gale Wind Rankings.
As for what would happen when the rankings were reset in two and a half years, no one could say for sure.
...
News like this spreads quickly among the major powers, but it takes longer to reach the common folk. Chen Mu escorted Chen Yue and the others to the prefecture capital, and the journey took one and a half months. By then, word of the events in Yu City had just started to spread.
Chen Yue and the others weren't in the mood for storytelling, and they quickly lost interest in the teahouse's lively discussions. They followed Chen Mu and soon left the teahouse behind.
Finally.
After traveling a short distance, the group approached a bustling marketplace ahead. They noticed many passersby with startled expressions, quickly moving to the sides of the road to make way. Numerous commoners hurriedly knelt and paid their respects on both sides of the street.
In the marketplace, a man dressed in the official uniform of an Inspector General was walking with a group of followers. He approached Chen Mu with a smile and said, "Protector Chen, why didn't you inform me beforehand? I could have welcomed you at the city gate."
Chen Mu bowed respectfully and replied with a calm smile, "How dare I trouble you, Senior Brother Xu, to welcome me at the city gate."
Chen Mu was familiar with this Inspector General.
Unlike Yan Jingqing, Xu Qingzhao, the Inspector General, was from Lingxuan Peak of the Seven Mysteries Sect. However, he was not a true disciple but merely an inner disciple of Lingxuan Peak. Despite this, he had managed to break through to the Organ Realms and served as an Official of Lingxuan Peak. Later, he cultivated to the Six Viscera Realm and became a Guardian. A few years ago, the Seven Mysteries Sect assigned him to the Prefecture Capital as an Inspector General, replacing Yan Jingqing.
Xu Qingzhao laughed and said, "Protector Chen, as a former true disciple of Lingxuan Peak and now ranked on the Gale Wind Rankings, even the Governor wants to meet you... According to your instructions, the residence in the inner city has been prepared and is awaiting your arrival."
Although Chen Mu addressed him as Senior Brother, Xu Qingzhao dared not accept the title of Senior Brother to Chen Mu. After all, he was not a true disciple, and even though he had reached the Six Viscera Realm and served as an Inspector General, this was his limit. In contrast, Chen Mu, at the young age of thirty, was already ranked on the Gale Wind Rankings.
Even with the rumors outside that Chen Mu had been ambushed by the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion and was affected by demonic energy, making his path to Grandmaster uncertain, Chen Mu's extraordinary talent still held the potential to comprehend the Heaven-Earth Domain. If he succeeded, even without becoming a Grandmaster, he could still aspire to the top of the Gale Wind Rankings! And even if Chen Mu couldn't comprehend the Heaven-Earth Domain, as a high-ranking expert on the Gale Wind Rankings, his status would still be far above others.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Xu," Chen Mu said with a slight nod.
To bring Xu Hongyu, Chen Yue, and the others to the Prefecture Capital, Chen Mu had naturally made arrangements in advance. For those above the rank of Official in the Seven Mysteries Sect, it was easy to acquire properties in the Prefecture Capital, let alone for someone like Chen Mu.
"It's no trouble at all," Xu Qingzhao smiled in response.
Xu Qingzhao then led the way, guiding Chen Mu and his group towards the inner city.
Previously, Chen Mu and his group had been wearing long robes, and although they were simple, they hadn't encountered any obstacles on their journey. Now, with Inspector General Xu Qingzhao leading the way, their path was even smoother, and pedestrians along the way all paid respectful greetings.
Some people's gazes fell on Chen Mu and the others behind Xu Qingzhao, their eyes filled with astonishment. They wondered who these people were, that they could have such a distinguished Inspector General personally guiding them.
Soon, the group passed through the outer city and arrived at the inner city of the Prefecture Capital.
The inner city of the Prefecture Capital was visibly more magnificent than that of Jade Jade Prefecture. Tall buildings stood tall, and the streets were paved with thick, solid bluestone slabs, creating a clean and tidy environment.
Pedestrians on the streets wore long robes, and wealthy individuals in luxurious silk were a common sight. Some maintained a solemn and dignified demeanor, while others chatted and laughed, creating a stark contrast to the outer city, almost like two different worlds.
However, even those dressed in luxurious silk were taken aback when they saw Xu Qingzhao leading the way. They all paused, then bowed respectfully to Xu Qingzhao, not daring to be negligent.
As Xu Qingzhao and Chen Mu's group passed by, their figures disappeared at the end of the wide street. Only then did someone whisper, "Who are those people following Senior Xu? They look unfamiliar."
"I don't think they're following Senior Xu; it seems more like Senior Xu is leading the way... I heard some news earlier. Could that young man who was with Senior Xu be him?"
A person nearby showed a hint of surprise.
The person next to him turned and asked in surprise, "You mean Senior Xu is leading the way for someone? Who could it be?"
"He's so young, and Senior Xu is personally leading the way. Who else could it be?" the man shook his head.
Upon hearing this, the people nearby fell silent, each of them thinking of the same name.
Chen Mu!
The true rising star of the Prefecture Capital and the top young talent of the Cold North Path. Not long ago, in Jade Jade Prefecture, he had killed the Grand Protector of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion, Situ Shu, who was ranked 23rd on the Gale Wind Rankings!
For the people in the inner city of the Prefecture Capital, Chen Mu's name was already like thunder in their ears.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
